Turning POCA into investigative strength with FIT

By Stan Yakimov, Strategic Partnerships Lead

Turning POCA into investigative strength with FIT

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) gives investigators important powers to trace criminal proceeds and support asset recovery.

However, applying those powers can involve complex processes, large volumes of financial information and strict evidential requirements.

For POCA financial investigations, the challenge is not simply accessing information. Investigators also need to analyse it effectively, maintain clear audit trails and turn financial data into evidence they can defend.

The right investigative technology can help.

Altia’s Financial Investigation Toolkit (FIT) supports financial investigators by helping them analyse complex financial data, identify suspicious activity and build stronger cases.

How Chapter 2 powers support financial investigations

Chapter 2 of Part 8 of POCA provides investigators with statutory powers that can help uncover the financial reality behind criminal activity.

These powers allow investigators to move beyond individual transactions. Instead, they can gather information that helps reveal financial behaviour, hidden assets and potential criminal proceeds.

Two important powers are Disclosure Orders and Account Monitoring Orders.

Disclosure Orders

Disclosure Orders allow investigators to require individuals or institutions to provide specified information.

This information can help investigators understand financial relationships, transactions and assets connected to an investigation.

As a result, investigators can build a more complete picture of the financial activity surrounding a person or organisation.

Account Monitoring Orders

Account Monitoring Orders (AMOs) allow investigators to obtain information about activity on specified accounts over an agreed period.

Rather than relying solely on a historic snapshot, investigators can use this information to examine ongoing financial behaviour.

Consequently, AMOs can help teams identify patterns, movement of funds and activity that may require further investigation.

Turning financial information into intelligence

Obtaining financial information is only the beginning.

Disclosure Orders and Account Monitoring Orders can produce significant volumes of data. Investigators then need to organise, analyse and interpret that information.

For example, teams may need to:

• Identify significant transactions
• Trace movement between accounts
• Compare activity across different periods
• Identify links between individuals or organisations
• Highlight unusual financial behaviour
• Maintain the source and context of financial information

Without an efficient way to analyse this data, important patterns can remain hidden.

Our article on bank statement analysis and financial investigations explores how investigators can identify patterns and trace funds within complex financial information.

Maintaining lawful and accountable processes

POCA powers operate within clear legal and procedural requirements.

Under Section 377 of POCA, the relevant Code of Practice sets out how investigators should exercise Chapter 2 powers. This includes areas such as applications, service, time limits, variations and record-keeping.

Therefore, investigators need to consider more than the analytical outcome.

They must also maintain a clear record of how they obtained, handled and analysed information throughout the investigation.

A strong audit trail can help demonstrate what actions investigators took and where information originated. It can also support scrutiny later in the investigative or legal process.

How FIT supports POCA financial investigations

Altia’s Financial Investigation Toolkit is designed to help investigators work with complex financial information.

FIT has supported financial investigators for more than 20 years. It provides tools for analysing financial data while maintaining a controlled, human-reviewable process.

This can be particularly valuable when teams work with information obtained through POCA powers.

Structured data capture

Account Monitoring Orders and Disclosure Orders can produce large and varied datasets.

FIT helps investigators structure and index financial information. Therefore, teams can analyse transactions while retaining links to the original source.

Structured data also makes it easier to search, filter and compare financial activity.

Clear audit trails

Investigators need to understand where information came from and how teams handled it.

FIT provides audit functionality that helps teams maintain records throughout the analytical process.

As a result, investigators can work with financial information while maintaining transparency around the actions taken during an investigation.

Evidential integrity

Financial findings may eventually form part of an evidential case.

Therefore, investigators need to preserve the provenance and integrity of the information they analyse.

FIT supports structured reporting and controlled financial analysis. This helps investigators explain how they reached their findings and trace information back to its source.

Human-reviewable financial analysis

Altia uses carefully selected AI capabilities in some products. However, financial analysis requires a controlled and explainable approach.

For this reason, FIT keeps investigators at the centre of the analytical process.

Investigators can review, annotate and interpret financial information themselves. Consequently, they retain control over the findings that may ultimately support an evidential case.

From POCA powers to investigative workflow

Technology can help turn information obtained through POCA powers into a structured investigative workflow.

With FIT, investigators can follow a clear process:

1. Confirm authorisation
   Check that the relevant Disclosure Order or Account Monitoring Order has the appropriate authorisation.
2. Capture the data
   Bring account information or disclosure data into FIT for structured financial analysis.
3. Analyse and annotate
   Review transactions, add relevant annotations and map the movement of funds.
4. Maintain the audit trail
   Keep a clear record of activity and retain links between analysed information and its source.
5. Report findings
   Produce structured outputs that help communicate financial findings clearly.

This approach can help investigators maintain control over complex financial information while getting greater operational value from POCA powers.

As Stan Yakimov, Strategic Partnerships Lead at Altia, explains:

“Investigators need tools that uphold evidential standards and that’s exactly what FIT delivers thanks to its structured, manual-first approach.”

Connecting financial data across an investigation

Financial investigations rarely involve a single account or dataset.

Investigators may need to compare transactions across multiple accounts, individuals and organisations. Furthermore, they may need to connect financial activity with wider intelligence.

This makes the ability to identify relationships particularly important.

Our article on turning disjointed data into actionable fraud intelligence explores how connecting fragmented information can reveal relationships that individual datasets may hide.

Investigators can also combine financial analysis with wider intelligence. Read more about OSINT and financial intelligence in economic crime.

Strengthening POCA financial investigations

POCA provides investigators with powerful tools. However, those powers are only useful when teams can manage and analyse the resulting information effectively.

FIT helps bridge the gap between legal powers and day-to-day financial analysis.

By structuring financial data, supporting auditability and keeping investigators in control of the analytical process, FIT can help teams turn complex information into clearer investigative findings.

Ultimately, effective POCA financial investigations depend on more than obtaining financial information. Investigators need to understand what that information shows, connect it with the wider case and communicate their findings clearly.

With more than two decades of use by financial investigators, FIT provides a dedicated environment for doing exactly that.

About Stan

Stan Yakimov is an Accredited Counter Fraud Manager with experience across civil and criminal investigations.

He specialises in financial data analysis, disclosure and money laundering cases. Before joining Altia, Stan worked at the Insolvency Service, where his work included recovering complex assets through financial investigation.

Frequently asked questions

What is a financial investigation?

A financial investigation examines the financial activity of an individual or organisation to identify evidence of crime, fraud, unexplained wealth or criminal assets.

Investigators may analyse transactions, accounts, assets and relationships to understand how money has moved.

What powers does POCA give financial investigators?

POCA provides several investigative powers.

Chapter 2 of Part 8 includes Disclosure Orders and Account Monitoring Orders. These can help investigators obtain information relevant to financial activity and potential criminal proceeds.

How does FIT support bank statement analysis?

FIT allows investigators to import and analyse bank statement data in a structured format.

Investigators can then review transactions, identify patterns and examine financial relationships while maintaining control over the analytical process.

Does FIT use AI for bank statement analysis?

FIT takes a controlled, human-reviewable approach to financial analysis.

Investigators remain responsible for reviewing and interpreting financial information rather than relying on AI to make investigative conclusions.

Can FIT support evidential processes?

FIT includes audit and reporting functionality designed to support investigators working with financial information.

However, admissibility ultimately depends on investigators obtaining and handling evidence in accordance with the relevant legal and evidential requirements.

Can FIT work alongside other investigative systems?

Yes. Investigators can use FIT alongside case management, intelligence and disclosure systems as part of a wider investigative workflow.

See FIT in action

Whether you are planning a major financial investigation or reviewing legacy financial records, the right tools can help teams make better use of financial evidence.

Explore the Financial Investigation Toolkit to see how FIT can support financial analysis, or speak to the Altia team about arranging a demonstration.